Kathmandu, May 12

At a time when the entire country was paralysed due to the strike called by different groups opposing the caste-based state restructuring of the country, various janajati organisations Saturday staged demonstrations demanding ethnic-based federal provinces.

In Damak, Jhapa, the Limbuwan Struggle Committee organised a protest rally demanding that nine districts of the region should be declared Limbuwan state.

Janajati leaders of the main three parties also participated in the demonstration.

In Chitwan, Tharu Joint Struggle Committee organised a rally and a mass meeting demanding that the Terai of Nepal should be declared Tharuhat state.

In Dolakha, the Thamis called a strike demanding a state for them. Due to the bandh called by Thami Joint Struggle Committee, vehicles were off roads and markets were shut down.

They also staged demonstrations in Charikot.

Meanwhile, Tamang leaders, associated with different parties, and academicians of the community, objected to the demonstrations being staged against the ethnic and regional identity based federalism.

NC leader Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Maoist leader Hit Bahadur Tamang, general secretary of CPN-Unified Sitaram Tamang, CPN-UML central leader Bir Bahadur Lama, lawmakers Kumari Moktan, Dawa Tamang and others put their signatures in a statement released in Kathmandu demanding a unified Tamsaling.

Meanwhile, in Nepalgunj, people from various walks of life Saturday said that the movement and strike should not affect the religious and social harmony.

Human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, religious leaders, and members of business community stressed the need of harmony.

Meanwhile, the newly elected chairman of National Muslim Commission Mohammed Nirdosh Ali said that the Muslim community was against the ethnic based state.

Speaking at a press meet organised in Butwal, Ali said that in a country like Nepal where over 100 janajatis lived, restructuring states and naming them on the basis of ethnicity would not be suitable.

In Banke, at the fifth district convention of Nepal Muslim Ittehad Organisation, general secretary of Muslim Forum Democratic Faisal Ansari cautioned against the danger of disintegration of the country if Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Pahadis and Madhesis fought amongst themselves.

Central chairman of the organisation Mohammad Alam said that Muslim communities were for an undivided Nepal.

In a statement released in Kathmandu, coordinator of Samyukta Rastriya Janaadolan Samiti Nepal C.P. Gajurel condemned the police action against peaceful demonstrations of Tharus in Nawalparasi.

"We strongly condemn the attack by police on participants of a mass meeting organised by Tharus in Kailali," he said.